After two days of craziness, even by Welling United’s standards, their players put in a professional performance in their FA Trophy victory at Royston Town.

On Thursday the Wings announced that they had parted company with manager Lee Martin and that Paul Barnes was taking over as interim manager. He took the team for training that evening before relinquishing the role on Friday morning. Welling then asked former manager Rod Stringer to take on the role and he agreed to help out.

There was little goalmouth action in the opening stages. Both teams goalkeepers, Reuben Rabstein for Royston and Welling’s Kai McKenzie-Lyle, were tested by crosses in the swirling wind and coped well but there were no shots to concern them.

That changed in the twenty-first minute when Jack Paxman was stronger in a fifty-fifty tackle and played it out to Zac Hambury. He crossed low and, although he didn’t get a clean strike on it, Femi Akinwande forced it home for his first Welling goal.

Looking for a quick response, a low Royston cross flew across the face of goal to Welling nemesis Joe Iaciofano at the far post but he was crowded out and was unable to force it home.

Defences then held sway for the remainder of the first half and although Welling were the better team, they were unable to create a further clear cut chance.

After the break, Hambury held it up well before laying it off to Paxman who clipped it wide of the near post.

Moments later, Welling scored again. Luke O’Neill did well to win a tackle out wide inside his own half before hitting a superb diagonal cross field pass over the top to pick out John Ufuah. He controlled it well and remained composed when slotting past Rabstein and into the bottom corner.

Iaciofano screwed a shot wide for the hosts before Paxman picked out Logan Dobbs from a corner and his header was claimed by Rabstein.

Midway through the second half, Welling added a third. Hambury broke down the right before crossing for Ufuah to head home from close range.

Hambury again got in behind but was unable to get a shot away as Rabstein closed him down so he tried to lay it back to Ufuah but it was intercepted and cleared.

McKenzie-Lyle couldn’t hold on to a swirling cross but the outstanding O’Neill got across to clear off the line, then Archie Locke headed just over for the hosts.

Although six minutes of stoppage time were added, Welling were not troubled again and now await the draw for the next round, to be made on Monday.

Royston Town: Rabstein; Boorn, Frederick, Murray, Brighton (Matthews 81); Thomas; Deall (Newman), Beckett, Avgoustidis (Warner-Eley 58); Harness, Iaciofano (Locke 84). Subs not used: Ciuffa.

Goalscorers: None

Yellow cards: Harness (62 foul)

Welling United: McKenzie-Lyle; O’Neill, Dobbs, Majoyegbe, Williams-Bushell; Ebuzoeme; Hambury (Addy 74 (Cundle 89), Paxman, Scott, Ufuah; Akinwande (Shakpoke 76). Sub not used: Norman, Simmons.

Goalscorer: Akinwande (21), Ufuah (49), (68)

Yellow cards: Hambury (55 foul), O’Neill (80 delay of restart)

Referee: Alfie Finch-Critchley

Assistants: Neil Angus and Kovilen Sawmynaden

Attendance:

Images courtesy of Olly Groome